Health At Every Size

Food. How can I put into words how much I appreciate and love food? To have someone prepare food for you is such a wonderful treat, to share that food with people you love is a priceless experience and it’s magical to see how many different ways the same vegetable can be prepared. However, I am so disheartened when I hear stories of people struggling with eating disorders. And now there’s new research to suggest that middle-aged and older women are suffering from body dissatisfaction…this is not a young persons disorder anymore! What is wrong with our society? Here’s a new perspective on dieting.

For one never ever diet or restrict yourself from eating a specific food product, for example chocolate cake. Because the minute you tell yourself “I will never eat chocolate cake again,” that’s all you are going to want and unfortunately our brains have not figured out a way to out-smart our stomachs. Now that you’ve made this promise and are craving chocolate cake, the next time you get the opportunity to have a piece, you will, but you wont just eat one piece, you’ll eat the whole cake, which starts the vicious cycle again. People who don’t restrict themselves eat less “sometimes foods” than those who restrict themselves. Dieting may work in the short run but in the long run over 95% of people gain the weight back and more. Also, dieting negatively affects your mind and your body.

Health at every size(HAES) is a big new movement that adds another perspective to the war on obesity. The war on obesity promotes eating less and moving more while HAES emphasizes that people can be healthy at a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Improved health can be achieved through size acceptance and positive behaviour changes, where we tune-in to our bodies physical cues of hunger and satiety and enjoy eating. The focus should be on health not weight. With positive changes in eating and activity, your health will improve and your body will settle at a weight that is right for you.

Our society values thinness but the reality is that healthy, beautiful bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. Enjoy food, life is too short!